President Trump is not backing down from a standoff between the White House and The Associated Press over the Gulf of America, the body of water previously known as the Gulf of Mexico that he changed the name of after taking office.
The AP’s style is to refer to the body of water on first reference by its previous name, which is recognized in other countries and many of the AP’s readers still might recognize.
Trump said the AP “refuses to go with what the law is,” in reference to an executive order he signed this month changing the name of the body of water.
The president noted that he intends to keep the wire service out of key White House spaces “until they agree” to change the style.
The AP, in its most recent statement on the ban, said “the actions taken to restrict AP’s coverage of presidential events because of how we refer to a geographic location chip away at this important right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution for all Americans.”
Several press freedom groups and the White House Correspondents’ Association have condemned the decision and urged the Trump administration to reconsider.
The episode is being widely seen as the latest salvo in Trump’s long running combative relationship with the press.
“They’re doing us no favors, and I guess I’m not doing them any favors,” Trump said of the AP. “That’s the way life works.”
Source: The Hill
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